Early Spin Sets up Long Day for Hamlin at Chicago

Looking to regain momentum after a hard fought weekend at Daytona, the #20 Rockwell Automation / JGR Busch Team headed to the mile and a half track at Chicagoland Speedway to compete in the USG Durock 300.  The team was looking to rally back and jumpstart the second half of the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series campaign.  

As soon as the car was unloaded off the hauler and brought onto the track for first practice on Friday, the crew faced a loose condition that called for major adjustments in between practice sessions.  Even with the condition, the team managed to post the 13th fastest lap time heading into second practice. By the end of second practice, Hamlin had the car racing at the 9th fastest time on the track, but was unable to complete a mock qualifying run due to a nagging tight condition that left the car plowing into turns.  With qualifying set for early afternoon on Saturday, the team had their work cut out for them to ensure a successful qualifying run.

The #20 team pulled the first qualifying position for the weekend and took to the track first on Saturday afternoon.  Posting a lap time of 30.767 seconds (175.513 mph), the team overcame its early practice worries and stayed atop the pole through 37 competitors. Carl Edwards eventually pushed Hamlin off the pole and several remaining drivers bested Hamlin’s time to set the Rockwell Automation Chevrolet fifth in the starting grid.  

As the green flag dropped on the USG Durock 300 Saturday at 4:00pm, the #20 team would be in for an immediate uphill battle as Hamlin self-admittedly overdrove the car into Turn 2 during the first lap.  The miscue caused the #20 to spin out along the backstretch.  During the spin Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. were involved in the incident and caused damage to the #20’s lower rear quarter panel.  The car was forced to pit under the first lap caution to repair some of the damage to the rear of the car and replace the spin-worn tires.  The team continued to benefit by a handful of early caution laps to allow fabricating specialist John Furino adequate time to repair the fender while Hamlin remained on the lead lap.

Following the early cautions the team would race from the back of the field on a long green flag run.  Able to stay out longer than most of the field due to topping off the fuel cell during repairs, Hamlin finally pealed off on lap 90 for tires and fuel.  Six laps later the caution flag would fall and catch Hamlin a lap down.  Electing not to pit during the period Hamlin restarted two cars in front of the race leader.  When the caution flag flew six laps later, Hamlin returned to the lead lap.  Although back on the lead lap, Hamlin would fight the car the remainder of the day running as high as 6th but dropping back to 14th by the finish.

“It was a tough day for us,” commented Hamlin following the race.  “I started us behind when I just over drove the car in turn two.  The damage on the car hurt the balance but the loss of track position really put us behind.  The team continued to work hard all race, but it just wasn’t our day.  It has been rough the last two weeks, but there is nothing better to stop the bleeding than a good old flat, short track like New Hampshire.  Last year, my best finish of the season came at that track and I am looking forward to getting things turned around there.”